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These stuffed mini peppers are as tasty as they are tiny! Packed with flavor, these spinach and cheese filled bites serve as a great vegetarian main dish or pair well with grilled chicken. And what an impressive appetizer they’d make!

I don’t know about you, but sometimes stuffed peppers are a little overbearing because, well, there’s so much of that pepper to eat! I’ve found that I prefer mini sweet peppers (also called baby bell) for stuffing because the skins are thinner so the filling shines. Kids might also prefer them for the same reason – plus, they’re generally easier to eat and little foods are just plain fun!

Rice, chopping, and simmering sauce

Don’t forget to have that brown rice cooking first! I love brown rice, but I always seem to forget that it takes so much longer to cook! So before you do anything else, get that going or have it pre-cooked. It’s such a bummer if you have to wait on rice to cook!

The most difficult part of this recipe is probably just cutting and preparing the peppers. The process is simple but there are just lots of mini peppers to prep! Start by cutting the peppers in half length-wise, then remove any seeds or excess sinew. Set aside for stuffing later. Now just a bit more chopping – get that spinach cut up nice and small.

In a large skillet, add the rice, spinach, marinara sauce, cottage cheese, spices, and S+P. Heat on medium high and allow this to simmer for a few minutes, or until the spinach is melted. Add 1/2 cup mozzarella and 1/4 cup parmesan and stir until melted and combined.

Stuffing theses little guys

Now’s the fun part. Using a small spoon, scoop up the rice-spinach mixture and carefully plop it into the mini pepper boats. Place these onto a baking sheet lined with foil. Once they’re all filled, top with a little more mozzarella cheese – I used a bit more than 1/4 cup.

Slide these babies into a pre-heated 350* oven for 10 minutes, or until the cheese has become bubbly and the peppers are soft to your liking.

Versatility and variations

If you feel like getting creative, throw in some quinoa in place of the rice, switch up the cheese for goat or cheddar, or throw in some cooked ground turkey. These are very versatile!

My family loved these peppers and we hope you will too!

The post Spinach and Cheese Stuffed Mini Peppers Recipe appeared first on Super Healthy Kids.

Keywords: Super Healthy Kids, Health/Wellness